Instagrammars on Zoom
A few months ago, a friend Malini Ratham, who manages a lovely website called The Mindful Veggie introduced me to a group of Instagram bloggers. These are a group of extremely talented women that are making inroads into fashion, decluttering, pottering and corporate positions. All of us are based out of Dallas, Texas. Since then, we have been meeting as a group every couple of months, to hobnob and get to know each other better. We met a few times in different homes.
Then, Covid-19 hit us.
DFW Instagrammers Pre-Covid
Stuck at home, one of the IG’ers came up with a great idea. We would do a virtual meet. Using an Excel algorithm, we got randomly paired up. Each of us had to share a recipe or two with their partner. The recipes would be from the partner’s regional cuisine. We would all enjoy a meal online.
Fun idea!
Spicy Raw Carrot Pickle
My partner-in-crime was Radhika, a lively gal, who is the soul of this group. She’s from Andhra Pradesh and she shared 3 recipes with me. This Spicy Raw Carrot Pickle is one of them. Except for the tempering, there is no cooking involved in this easy recipe. You do have to leave the pickle overnight, so the spices and flavors are nicely absorbed.
Online Meet
When the day arrived, we had a lovely Zoom meet with all of us showcasing each other’s cooking and the inevitable recipe exchange followed. Humans are social beings, and the quarantine has created a lot of stress, anxiety and related mental and physical issues in many. My suggestion is to seek out technology to help you ‘meet’ with your family and friends.
We instantly fell in love with this pickle. I’ve made this several times since I first made it. And every time, we love it even more! Try it. Enjoy this pickle with Brown Rice Vegetable Pulao, Quinoa Vegetable Pulao, or Wholesome Methi (Fenugreek) Paratha.
Other Recipes You Will Love
If you love pickling your veggies, try out a few of our recipes:
Do try out some of our delicious carrot-based dishes:
- Creamy Instant Pot Carrot (Gajar) Halwa
- Delicious Carrot-Cucumber Kosumbari Salad
- Zesty Carrot Garbanzo Usli
- Carrot, Green Bean Coconut Sauté
- Cabbage and Carrot Masala
- Spicy, Tangy Carrots & Sprouts Salad
- White Wine Infused Carrot Ginger Soup
- Stir Fry Zucchini Noodles
- Chicken & Vegetable Stir Fry
Carrots have a wealth of cancer fighting antioxidants and offer many health benefits. Probably the best-known carrot superpower is beta-carotene, which keeps your eyes healthy. These antioxidants are also great for your heart. The potassium in carrots will keep your blood pressure in check. And all the fiber they contain will help you stay at a healthy weight and lower your chances of heart disease.
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Spicy Raw Carrot Pickle (Gajar ka Achar)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Carrots - Finely chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder - Vary to taste
- 4 Cloves Garlic - Freshly crushed
- 1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt - Or to taste
- 2 Teaspoon Lime Juice - Vary to taste
- 1/8 Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 3 Teaspoon Mustard Oil - Or Sesame Oil
Tempering
- 1 Teaspoon Mustard Oil - Or Sesame Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Urad Dal
- 1 Teaspoon Chana Dal
- 4 Dry Red Chili - Or to taste
- 2 Curry Leaves - Curry Leaf Sprigs
- 2 Cloves Garlic - Freshly crushed
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder - Or to taste
Instructions
- Cut carrots into tiny pieces. No need to peel the carrots if they are organic.
- Add red chili powder, crushed garlic, salt and lime juice. Dry roast fenugreek/methi seeds and jeera/cumin seeds. Dry grind to a powder. Add to the chopped carrots.
- Add mustard oil, mix well and let it soak overnight.
Tempering
- Heat mustard, sesame or peanut oil. Add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Add urad dal, chana dal, red chili, curry leaves and minced garlic. Turn off the heat, add a spoon of red chili powder to the tempering (to give that rich red color) and pour it in the carrot mix.
- Carrot pickle is ready! It will store well in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Always store in an air-tight container and use a dry spoon while serving. Enjoy this pickle with Brown Rice Vegetable Pulao, Quinoa Vegetable Pulao, or Wholesome Methi (Fenugreek) Paratha.
